Walking canes are well-known support devices used to assist individuals while walking or standing. Canes may even be used to ease the transition between standing and sitting. A problem with canes occurs during non-use and when dropped.
Since canes are used to increase mobility, all manner of destinations may be reached by cane users. After arriving at a chosen destination, many cane users will need to store their cane in a location where it will remain until needed. Storage may be temporary such as while writing a check or for a longer period of time such as while watching a movie. Unfortunately, many destinations, such as theaters, do not provide readily-available cane storage locations. As a result, individuals may have to store the cane in an inappropriate, or even dangerous, location while not in use. Retrieval of a dropped cane is also difficult. In fact, the act of stooping to pick up a fallen cane is simply beyond the dexterity level of many cane users.
One approach to making cane use more convenient involves attaching the cane to a leash that keeps the cane near an individual's wrist if dropped or released. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,792 discloses a device to keep a cane in position for ready use, but it interferes with free use of the tethered hand. Tasks such as check and letter writing or book reading are difficult with a cane dangling from one's wrist.
Other devices have been designed in an attempt to keep a cane nearby. These devices typically involve a cord attached via a swivel, or other connection, to a wrist strap. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,758 provides an example of this type of device. Although this device includes an intermediate-length cord and may provide free hand use, they often do so at the expense of placing canes in locations that cause an interference with other objection while the "free" hand is in use.
Still other devices have utilized different methods of making cane use more convenient. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,730, employs a belt-mounted, retractable leash. This device utilizes a spring-loaded pulley that draws the cane toward a user's trunk when the cane is released. Although this type of device may leave hands unencumbered the device constantly pulls the cane toward a user's waist. As a result, users of the '730 device are locked in a perpetual tug-of-war that tends to urge the cane into a non-stable orientation. What's more, the force required to extend the chain increases as more line is drawn out.
Thus, what is needed is a cane retrieval device that allows a cane to be temporarily rested in a location remote from an individual's hands, while delivering the cane into a readily-grasped orientation when desired. The device should not interfere with user cadence, and should retrieve a cane in a controlled manner, at a uniform pace regardless of cane location. The device should also not require any special skills during attachment and removal.